The History Of East India Company : A British Company

East India Company History

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The East India Company was founded in Britain in 1599 by a group of British merchants named Merchant Adventure. After this, on 31 December 1600 AD, Queen Elizabeth I of Britain, by a charter, granted the East India Company a monopoly letter of trade for 21 years with India as well as the countries of the East.
After obtaining a monopoly letter to do business from India, the company started making strategies to expand its business in India. The East India Company decided in its strategy that the company would first obtain permission from the Mughal rulers to do business in India. And then we will set up our factories in the coastal areas of India.
History of East India Company East India Company History in Hindi
To make this strategy successful, the East India Company introduced Thomas Stephen as the company's representative in 1603 AD, in the court of Akbar, the ruler of the Mughal era. Thomas Stephen arrived there to obtain permission to do business from India.
But Thomas Stephen failed to explain his point to the Mughal ruler as he had no knowledge of Persian language and hence the Mughal ruler did not allow the company to do business in India. Thomas Stephen then returned to Britain.
After this, the company again sent a ship named 'Hector' from India to England under the representation of Captain Hawkins. The purpose of which was just to do business with India. Captain Hawkins first landed at the port of Surat. Surat, at that time, was one of the major trading centers of India.
In 1608, Captain Hawkins arrived at the court of the Mughal ruler Jahangir, seeking permission to trade in India. Upon arriving at the court of the ruler, Captain Hawkins spoke to his Mughal ruler in Persian language, which pleased the Mughal ruler Jahangir conferred the title of 'Khan' on Captain Hawkins.
It also granted permission to set up a temporary factory in Surat. After this, Jahangir in 1613 AD, fixed the Surat factory established by the company with statutory permission. Earlier in 1611 AD, the company had established a factory at Mousalipatnam, on the east coast of India.
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After this, Sir Thomas Row also reached Jehangir's court in 1615 AD and got permission from Jahangir to set up factories in Surat, Ahmedabad, Bharoch, and Agra. That is why the credit of establishing the East India Company in Western India is given to Sir Tomas Rowe.
With this, in 1619 AD, the East India Company also established a company in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. After this, during the reign of Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, the company was allowed to set up factories and fortresses by the regional subedars.
In the same sequence, in 1631 AD, the Subedar of Golconda, Karnataka also allowed the company to do business and in 1639 AD the ruler of Chandragiri leased Madras to the East India Company. Where the company built a fort called St. Fort George.

In 1651 AD the Subedar of Bengal gave the company the right to do octroi free trade, which led the company to set up its factory at Hooghly, which was the first factory to be established in Bengal by the company.
After this, in 1657 AD, the battle for succession of the Mughal Empire started between the sons of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan. After which Jahan's son Aurangzeb took his father Shah Jahan captive.
On 21 July 1658 AD, Aurangzeb made himself the ruler of the Mughal Empire by having his coronation at Agra. It was under this reign that the Portuguese princess Catherine was married to Prince Charles II of the British in 1661 AD.
After this, Aurangzeb had also given permission to the British to trade in Bengal in 1667 AD. After the princess's wedding, the Portuguese gave the British the right to trade in Bombay. After which Charles II provided Mumbai to the East India Company in 1668 AD at an annual rent of 10 pounds.
After this the East India Company established its factory in Mumbai. The company expanded its empire further by establishing its factories in Dhaka on the east coast of India and Cochin on the west coast in 1670 AD.
Later, angered by the company's policies, the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb revoked the company's commercial permission in Bengal in 1688 AD. But it did not have an effect. And the company set up another factory in Kolkata in the year 1690 and now due to the policies of the Mughal Empire, the company was beginning to have an inconvenience in doing business in India.
Due to which the company also felt the need of administrative authority in India, due to which in 1697 AD, Fort William, Kolkata, Bengal was established. Which became the administrative center of the British.
The city of Kolkata was established in 1699 AD by Job Charanak. Subsequently, in 1756 AD, the Subedar of Bengal Siraj-ud-daulah ordered the British factories to be closed and ordered them to leave Bengal and go to Phulta (Madras).
After which, on 23 June 1757 AD, the company was led by Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah and Lord Clive. The company was victorious in this war and after this the company made Mirzafar the Nawab of Bengal.
After this, the company made Meerkasim the Nawab of Bengal in 1760 AD for its convenience. But Meerkasim made many announcements against the British, causing heavy losses to the company. Due to this, in 1763, the British removed Meerkasim and again made Mirzafar the Nawab of Bengal.
After this, in 1764, the battle of Buxar was fought between the Mughals and the Nawabs and the East India Company. In this war the Company's army was led by Hector Munro. The company won in this war.
After the victory of this war, the company made the first treaty of Allahabad in 1765 AD, by which the company was given the status of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa province. Shortly thereafter, the company entered into a second treaty with the Nawab of Awadh, Shuja-ud-daulah of Allahabad by which the company was empowered to conduct tax-free trade in India.
At the same time the Company's army was deployed to protect Awadh. Provision was made to pay its expenses to the Nawab of Awadh. Thus after the battle of Buxar the empire of the company was established from Bengal to North India.